Chapter 268. I Did Not Take the Tungso.

The moment my sword clashed with Bigaek’s, I heard a faint sound from my arm.

It was a sound that made me feel sorry to my arm, sorry to Heukbaek Soso, and not particularly sorry to Murong Bai.

Of course, it was the sound of the stitched area bursting open all at once. If I wanted to grip a sword properly and firmly, there was no helping a wound like this.

Once I took on Bigaek, everyone’s opponents were decided in an instant.

The man holding the straight saber clashed with the Sword Demon, and the bastard wielding the whip went up against the Lust Demon. In other words, the three of us were handling the strongest opponents among the original ten.

In the end, even Cha Seongtae charged at an injured man while letting out an incomprehensible shout.

Even Murong Bai was needling them from beside Cha Seongtae. I was inwardly dumbfounded that even the physician was fighting, but Bigaek’s long swordsman kept me busy, so I had no room to look around.

At any rate, when ugly bastards get angry, there’s no stopping them.

While knocking aside the long sword, I met Bigaek’s eyes.

“Wow, you’re calm even in the middle of all this.”

Bigaek said nothing.

“……”

Now that I was facing him directly, Bigaek’s long sword felt even longer, and his swordsmanship was unique. It was like a movement style that belonged to no sect at all.

His recovery after a thrust was swift, and the radius of his slashes was absurdly wide. Bigaek often unfolded techniques matched to movements that rotated his body, then poured out palm force at the right moment as well.

When I directly struck palms with him and exchanged palm force, it was loaded with rebounding force meant to guard against a contest of internal energy.

He was a fairly decent swordsman, with both swordsmanship and internal energy well stabilized.

Now that I thought about it, this expert called Bigaek seemed to have been alive even in my previous life, during my days as the Mad Demon.

In the middle of the fight, I heard the Lust Demon’s laughter.

Considering that I could not hear the sound of the whip flying about, I assumed he had grabbed the whip and was infusing it with ice arts.

While I was distracted by stray thoughts as I assessed the battlefield, Bigaek’s sword passed dangerously close to my shoulder.

‘Focus…….’

Bigaek avoided the Star-Absorbing Great Art I suddenly extended with my left palm by widening the distance, then abruptly kicked off the ground and used his lightness skill while turning his body.

“Huh?”

Only then did I understand why Bigaek had survived for so long. He was a bastard who could abandon his comrades and flee without the slightest hesitation. The unfavorable situation must have been visible to Bigaek’s eyes as well.

Even though he was running, the long robe Bigaek wore did not flutter all that wildly.

It seemed there was added weight inside the robe.

I chased after Bigaek with the Cloud-Stepping Steps, then deliberately sheathed my wooden sword.

The instant I thought there was little urgency in Bigaek’s movements, the long sword suddenly appeared from under his armpit, and sword qi erupted.

Shwaaaaaaak!

Since it was a surprise attack I had already anticipated, I floated into the air and avoided the sword qi. Bigaek turned his body and swung his long sword twice at me. Two streaks of sword qi that looked impossible to dodge came rushing in as beams of light forming the shape of an X.

In midair, I unfolded the Sun-Moon Light Veil faster than ever before. Strangely, when something touched the light veil, I could not feel any rebounding force, so even I sometimes felt my heart drop.

Even as the two beams of light were transmitted straight back to Bigaek, my entire body was closing the distance with him.

Only then did Bigaek show a startled expression. He shattered his own sword qi with his long sword, then immediately twisted the blade and swung again.

I drew the Flash Dagger with my right hand, and with my left, I gripped and drew the wooden sword in a reverse grip.

With the wooden sword drawn in a reverse grip, I blocked Bigaek’s long sword, and with the Flash Dagger, I stabbed at Bigaek’s chest.

As soon as two metallic clangs rang out—

As if nothing had happened, I clashed swords with Bigaek five or six times, sparks flying. He seemed to be wearing sturdy armor underneath, but it was not particularly surprising. In other words, he was a public enemy of the murim who had excellent lightness skill, wore armor underneath, knew how to run away, and even knew how to launch a surprise attack while fleeing.

In that case, it would not be strange even if poison came out next.

In midair, I let the two weapons float for a moment, then switched the wooden sword and Flash Dagger in my grip.

The wooden sword as the main weapon, the Flash Dagger as support.

I met Bigaek’s eyes again, but this bastard’s expression was still calm.

‘This one isn’t ordinary.’

If he had been ordinary, there was no way he would have become a public enemy of the murim. I faced Bigaek while completely erasing the arrogance that had formed deep in my heart because of my deeds thus far.

Although the chase had been short, the sound of the tungso was growing fainter and fainter.

Surely I hadn’t been lured, right?

Surely he didn’t have helpers nearby, right?

After calming my mind, I swung my sword, and Bigaek abruptly whipped his wide robe around.

Swish!

Since I had already anticipated variables starting from the robe, I retreated and poured out sword wind. Something burst in midair, and a thick green mist spread out.

Holding my breath, I swung my sword and drove away the green mist. In the spot where Bigaek had been, only the black robe remained.

“……Wow.”

While holding my breath, I put away the wooden sword and the Flash Dagger, then stamped my foot in a forceful step.

Boom!

I filled the air in the area with dust, wrapped it with the Star-Absorbing Great Art, and sent it flying a little distance away.

The fluttering robe remained where it was, but from the surroundings, I could hear no footsteps, no breathing, no rustle of clothing.

‘Can this even happen?’

Unless he had hidden in a tree or sunk beneath the ground, this was an environment where he could not suddenly disappear.

‘Is it an art from beyond the Great Wall?’

The sound of the tungso cut off for a moment. Either my ears were mistaken, or the fight was over.

I continued holding my breath. I had no intention of moving, either. I simply waited for the suddenly vanished Bigaek to breathe somewhere, move, or attack me in some way.

There was only one thing I was certain of.

He was nearby.

I sat down, then drew the Flash Dagger and stabbed it into the ground. The time when I had to breathe was approaching, but I simply endured.

Was this an illusion, or had I already been poisoned?

When I listened closely, the sound of the tungso could be heard faintly from far away. I gripped the Flash Dagger, then infused it with the chill of the Moon Shadow Heartless Art, which had entered the realm of the full moon. In an instant, the area around the Flash Dagger froze, and the cold energy slowly spread outward.

“……”

I did not inject it excessively. While holding my breath, I infused the ice art as though slowly pushing it in. By now, I was so short of breath that I could not last even the time it would take to drink three or four sips of tea.

At that moment, the instant I had the illusion that a tree was protruding from the tree on my right, I seized something shining with my right hand.

The sword was so fast that it had reached near my neck, and I had caught it with my hand infused with ice arts.

Only then did I turn my head and look at Bigaek’s face.

Since it felt like my hand would be cut off the moment the sword slipped free, I poured out ice arts.

Bigaek’s long sword froze white.

Bigaek’s hand, as he tried to let go of the sword, froze over.

The pure white chill advanced and covered Bigaek’s face and upper body.

Because this was the maximum output of the Moon Shadow Heartless Art poured out in a single instant, even my head spun with dizziness.

Not knowing what sort of counterattack might come, I let go of Bigaek's sword, severed his neck with a foot blade, and slid the blade back into its sheath. Bigaek's head, which had soared into the air, fell to the ground with a thud, but because of the weight of the Binggong, it didn't even roll.

"Clear."

Only then did I draw my flash dagger and check the upper body with it. He was wearing something akin to Dragon Scale Armor underneath. Yet it wasn't the kind of Dragon Scale Armor that anyone could dare to use. It felt like a demonic martial art tangled with his skin. The protective gear had a rather horrific form, and I frowned.

"Whose disciple is this bastard, anyway? Ruthless."

I pushed the headless corpse into the bushes and made my way back, listening to the sound of the flute.

* * *

The man playing the flute was still playing.

With corpses strewn around, Sword Demon sat before the flute-playing man and listened to the performance.

Lust Demon, Cha Seongtae, Murong Bai, Dongsu, and even Ghost Demon were sitting nearby, listening to the music.

That meant the man who used the whip and the man who used the straight sword were both dead as well.

I stared at this bizarre scene, then sat down with them and surrounded the flute-playing man.

When the Sibojonggunhaeng came to an end, Sword Demon nodded.

"......Well played."

The flute-playing man answered.

"Yes."

Sword Demon spoke.

"There is a monk here who speaks of mercy, but he is not enough to save you. Apart from the monk, we are not people of deep compassion."

"Yes."

Sword Demon asked the flute man.

"What do you think you would regret most before you die? You may answer slowly; I will understand."

At the words telling him to answer slowly, the flute man realized he was about to die at Sword Demon's hand.

Because Sword Demon's air was so solemn, even Martial Uncle Dongsu could not step forward.

We looked at the man who was soon to face death.

The flute man squeezed his eyes shut and burst into tears. Then he grabbed his face with both hands and answered with a flushed complexion.

"The music, if I could just play more......"

The man mumbled something and trailed off.

Finally, Martial Uncle Dongsu opened his mouth.

"......If you spare him, I will take him and return to Gyo. Whether this person wishes it or not, I will do so. My martial arts skill seems superior, so you may trust me. He already has no strength left to fight, and his heart is full of regret; this is not a matter to be resolved by killing."

Sword Demon said to Dongsu.

"I have no intention of bargaining with a person's life. But we should hear what the Sect Leader has to say. He has a grasp of the full context regarding these men."

I picked up where he left off and asked the flute man.

"The performance, what? What are you saying?"

The flute man answered with a vacant expression.

"If I had mastered it more, such a thing......"

In that moment, for a reason I couldn't fathom, the flute man spread his right hand and thrust it toward his own eye. I reflexively unleashed the Cosmic Absorption Technique and pulled his hand back. The flute man, whose face had been struck by his own arm, looked at me with a bewildered expression as blood gushed from his nose.

I looked at Martial Uncle Dongsu.

"Baldy, are you going back?"

"Yes."

"What if this person changes his mind while following you and tries to escape?"

The Martial Uncle looked at me.

"I will consider it my karma."

"What if he stabs you while you're sleeping?"

"I too have learned martial arts, so I will admonish him day and night and remain vigilant."

I looked at the flute man.

"Will you follow the monk?"

The flute man nodded.

"If you spare me, I will do so."

I gazed into the flute man's eyes and answered.

"Then I won't take your flute."

I lightly tossed the flash dagger to Martial Uncle Dongsu.

"......Proceed."

Dongsu asked back with a surprised expression.

"Pardon?"

"Shave his head."

"Ah, yes."

Dongsu approached, dagger in hand, and began snipping away the flute man's hair.

I watched this and said.

"Be careful. It's sharp."

In that instant, Dongsu flinched, and a trickle of blood flowed down from the crown of the flute man's head.

Dongsu spoke in a startled tone.

"I'm sorry."

The flute man answered with a blank expression.

"It's fine."

Shortly after, the flute man had become a baldy with a slight trickle of blood coming from his head. Watching this whole scene, a sigh escaped me.

"Killing isn't easy, and saving someone is no simple task either."

Dongsu answered.

"Still, thank you for sparing him, my Lord."

"It's not even your life; what are you so thankful for?"

Dongsu answered, picking off the hair stuck to the crown of the man who had become bald.

"Even so, only by surviving like this can he play the flute more, play the pipa, eat his meals, and repent for his sins. If fate brings us together again, I will come to Ilyanghyeon with him and play the flute for you once more. Of course, you will be able to hear Gwangneungjisik, Sipmyeonmaebok, Hogamyeong, and Sibojonggunhaeng, as well as other pieces, much more beautifully than now. His skill will certainly have improved by then."

At this, the man who had newly become bald seemed to have his heart crumble at the Martial Uncle's words, and he prostrated himself on the ground and sobbed.

I stared blankly at the wailing flute man and spoke.

"The baldy's crying."

"......"

It seemed everyone was avoiding my gaze, so I let out a sigh. I suddenly checked my right arm and saw blood flowing from where the stitches had burst.

Unable to help it, I looked at Murong Bai.

Murong Bai approached and patted my back.

"We can just stitch it up again. It's not like your arm was cut off. You did well."

This was neither praise nor sarcasm......

In any case, as I took it positively, feeling that Murong Bai's heart had grown more mature, the flute man's wailing continued. I gauged the mood a bit, then spoke to the flute man in a voice that wasn't very loud.

"You're noisy."

Thinking about it anew, in the end it was Dongsu who had saved a person's life. We were a handful ourselves, but the Martial Uncle was truly stubborn beyond measure.